Invention of a pocket-sized and lightweight smartphone with LTE technology for efficient frequency utilization

Capable of selecting and switching between a LTE system using TV whitespace and commercial LTE networks

Developed to share the load burden of current mobile communications with TV whitespace, alleviating overcapacity

With the ever increasing number of devices on increasingly overloaded networks, practical ways to relieve mobile communication traffic while maintaining speed and efficiency are more relevant now than ever before. In response to this, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) has succeeded in developing a specially made smartphone that can operate in TV whitespace with LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology.

This new smartphone incorporates two SIM slots, one for the NICT developed LTE system for TV whitespace and the other for commercial LTE networks. Using software, the phone selects and smoothly switches between the LTE systems, which are based on 3GPP standard release 8. Standby times are 290 hours for TV whitespace and 440 hours for normal LTE networks. The phone also features a talktime of more than 10 hours.

NICT smartphone capable of using TV whitespace, shown here fitted with its unique UHF band antenna

“The smartphone we developed realizes a TDD LTE system with an expanded frequency range to include bands from 470MHz to 710MHz,” said Dr. Kentaro Ishizu, senior researcher of the whitespace project. “It’s lightweight and handheld for portability, has the same functions as the latest products now on the market, and its standby and talktimes last long enough for commercial use.”

“By combining this smartphone with whitespace database-connected base stations (eND-B) we have already developed, we can increase LTE spectrum without causing interference with incumbent systems in the TV band, which means we can use the spectrum more efficiently and effectively,” said Dr. Hiroshi Harada, director of NICT’s Smart Wireless Laboratory. “We believe our development of this smartphone will contribute to the global development of LTE systems that utilize TV whitespace.”